[OOC is here: weighing-anchors-t22862.html}



The sky was a bright shade that summer morning, and the air was clear enough for anyone on the sea to be able to spot an island at least a hundred miles away. It was perfect sailing weather, it seemed. Just right to be able to cut off the engines for a while and just sail along. That was Captain Sophia Dumisani's motto in life. Her and her crew had been simply floating about for weeks, no primary objective considering they had spent almost all of their last plunder's bounty on some eastern sea port, and basically had all that they needed. But, the captain would never allow her crew to grow lazy, so these trips were basically mandatory for them.

"Wonderful day, aye, lads?" she shouted across the deck in a rich tone, waking up any of her crew members who had managed to doze of along the railing as the waves slowly rocked them to sleep. She wasn't really asking a question, but simply making it known that she was on deck in a passive-aggressive manner. That was all it took. Every spine on that ship straightened up at the sound of her voice.

"That it is, captain," another voice called from the foredeck. It was a man's voice, slightly aged. "It only saddens me to know that it could be even better than this." At the helm was First Mate Mister Arewick, holding the ship on its course as he always did in those docile moments at sea.

"How so?" the Captain inquired, looking over the edge of the deck as she adjusted her hat.

"Well, I hear the weather in New Port is heavenly... And the seascape view-- ah, spectacular." Sophia raised one of her thin eyebrows and stepped towards Mister Arewick.

"Tell me, do you believe this to be some sort of... little vacation?" she asked it that polite, yet commanding tone.

"Uh... No, Captain, but I simply supposed we could, ah--"

"New Port it is, then. I could use a vacation." The Captain nodded slightly to her first mate before walking over the the foremost part of the deck to breathe in the air. New Port wasn't too far away from her ship's location in the water, judging from her map. As a matter of fact, it took no time at all to get there. It was a lovely town-- greenery was abundant, it was sanitary, and the seascape WAS beautiful, along with the various well-kept ships docked there. But of course, with Sophia's ship obviously not resembling that of the Royal Fleet's, she was forced to dock it near the fancy fishing boats, lest it seem a bit suspicious. But it was rather large, so it still managed to stick out. Suppose there was no winning either way on her part. As she stepped down from the stair-like plank that was lowered and expanded upon docking, the Captain provided a rather dignified presence as she parted from her crew, as she mostly did at times like these. After all, she was their captain, not their mother. Admiring the inscription on the side of her ship, Sophia loved the way the bold golden letters stood out against the dark mahogany paint. 'THE TROPIC,' it read.

Adelaide breathed a drawn-out sigh, casting her eyes lazily over the lush greenery that adorned her family's sprawling estate. She stood upon the fairly large front balcony of the mansion, her hands softly resting upon the iron railing at her front as she gazed out towards the ocean. It always seemed so far off, so distant - and yet, it was but ten short minutes away. The distance was implied by the vast space in between, she supposed, beginning with the emerald of her front lawn, stretching towards the mansion gates, seperating the clustered houses of the port from this, the main spot for those lucky few citizens able to refer to themselves as the upper classes. A slight, pleasant breeze caught her ebony curls, allowing them to bounce slightly upon her shoulders. It was a beautiful day - so beautiful that it seemed a shame to waste it indoors.

Of course, she had little say in what her activities for the day would be. Like most other days, her family would be playing host to visiting nobles like themselves. Adelaide was not sure of exactly who was coming, but then again, she rarely knew who would be arriving in their hallway before they stepped through the front doors. Such information was not meant for her, it seemed. The thought made her grimace slightly. If she was lucky, they would be relatives, or the few friends of her mother's that were actually decent people. If she was unlucky, they would be the slimy accquaintances of her uncle, or father, visiting to discuss all manners of issues, from business deals to the threat of piracy. Unfortunately, the pressing matter was now finding her a suitor. Adelaide shuddered. It meant she had to appear to them in her most choking of dresses, forcing a smile as they cast their judging eyes over her. If she could run in such attire, she would.

That was probably why they never mentioned who would be coming, now that she thought of it.

A knock at the door from behind prompted her to snap out of her thought, her gaze swiftly changing from the azure skyline to the glass panes behind. Opening these doors, she re-entered her bedroom to find one of the maids standing there, one of her dresses carefully draped in her arms.

"Oh, good morning, Lena," Adelaide said softly, unable to assume a more calm tone quickly enough. The maid smiled. She was a kindly woman, easily in her late forties, with a fair frame, and enough wrinkles to prove she'd had a difficult life thus far. The woman approached Adelaide's bed, carefully setting down the dress on the white sheets.

"Good morning, miss," Lena replied. Noticing the view from the open balcony doors, she drew in a breath, continuing to beam as she did so. "My, today looks to be a good day. It's a shame you'll have to sit inside all day."

"Yes, it does," Adelaide answered, sitting down upon her bed next to the dress. "Oh well. I am sure it will be nice another day. Thank you for cleaning this so well, it looks like new again." Lena had turned by the time Adelaide had looked up once more after admiring the work the maid had done. It almost looked as though she had replaced some of the finer lace that had become tattered by age, as well as re-sewing on a few buttons. The cream fabric looked so crisp, and fresh.

"You are welcome, miss," the voice came from the door now. Lena waved, before opening the door. "By the way, your mother asked me to let you know that the visitors arrive at eleven sharp. Do not be late, you know your father likes you to be punctual." With that, Lena left, the door closing so softly that one could barely notice it at all.

The girl changed her clothes quickly, and within half an hour was in the state her mother had deemed suitable for meeting guests. She wore the long, cream dress, her corset tied up as tightly as she could manage. It had taken some getting used to, but she could now breathe in such a device. She found tying her hair up almost as painful as the dress, but, she knew her family would not accept anything else. Walking downstairs carefully in a pair of dainty shoes, she braced herself for whoever would be arriving within the next few minutes.

Jacqueline stood at the stern of the ship watching the streams of waves that marked where the ship had sliced through the water. She clutched the railing and wondered how terrible drowning would be...

When she closed her eyes she could still hear the neighing of horses, the heavy beats of hooves against the soft ground. She could smell the open fields with their tall grass and wild daisies and hibiscus. She could feel the afternoon sun beating down on her and see the crimson sky as the sun set.

But then she opened her eyes and she was back on the ship. The one that bore her like a slave to a world she didn't know, the wife of a man she'd never met. Tears flooded her dark brown eyes and she pressed an orange handkerchief to her mouth as she cried. She'd never see her beloved Spain again.

Drake walked toward his flagship, RMS Justice, it was a magnificent and mammoth battleship with engines that could power the city as well as any coal or oil powerplant and armor that could deflect rounds from guns larger than it carried. He let out a sigh at the sight of it and the rest of his fleet.

He clicked his tongue and a long-haired dark gold, almost brown, Golden Retriever came up beside him. "Good boy, Jackson." he said to it, and scratched it behind the ears.

As he approached the gangplank the sailors there guarding it cme to rigid attention, for they knew how their commander was. He nodded at them in approval as well as salutations. "Afternoon." he said crisply, returning the salutes they gave him.

"Er, Afternoon, sir." one of them replied cautiously, "You, er, seem to be in a good mood today, uh, sir."

On any other day, such talk would be reprimanded, but Drake was, indeed, in a good mood today, "I am," he said, "I'm happy on any day that promises the joy of hunting pirates."

The seaman who had spoken to him nodded, then again as Drake walked up the gangplank, Jackson right behind him.

His Executive Officer was waiting for him at the top and came to as crisp attention as the sailors had, "Welcome aboard, Admiral Durham." he said.

"At ease, Captain Henderson." was his reply.

Relaxing as he was ordered, Henderson commented on his good spirits as the sailor had and got a similar reply. When Jackson nudged Drake's hand he was suddenly reminded of the dog, "And are Jackson'a accomodations ready?" he asked.

Henderson nodded, "Yes, sir. Exactly as you have asked."

Drake nodded back, "Very good. And you remember the rules I have set?"

"Yes, sir: The food is not to be replenished until it is all eaten and not until morning or evening and the water is to be kept full at all times."

Drake gave a very rare smile, "Good, but you don't need to be so formal with Jackson, he is, after all, a dog." With that, he walked off toward the bridge, Jackson on his heels.

"Madame?" a crewman asked coming up behind Jacqueline. She turned, her brown curls falling over one shoulder. "The Captain has requested you for dinner," he stated with a small bow. Jacqueline nodded and the crewman left. She hated begin called Madame. There was a time, only days earlier, she was referred to as Senora. This was just another sign to her that nothing would ever be the same.

Jacqueline moved down the stairs to the cabin assigned as her room. She opened the wardrobe and saw several fresh dresses hanging there. English dresses. These women had no style. All straight edges, dull colors, and square necklines. She slammed the doors to the wardrobe, her Spanish temper getting the better of her.

She walked to the other side of the room and opened the trunk at the foot of her bed. She pulled out an orange and gold dress that was one of her favorites. The sleeves came just off the shoulder and the neckline was had a modest flow to it. The bodice was fitted with intricate gold weaving with beads. The skirt was hemmed in waves with an a-line slit. She pulled her normally curly hair back and pinned it in place. She grabbed her matching fan and headed to the Captain's dining room.

After a few minutes of waiting around in the front room, unable to sit for fear of creasing her perfectly-pressed dress, Adelaide wandered throughout the cavernous rooms of the mansion, her lone footsteps echoing in the peaceful silence. Her mother and father were nowhere to be seen, not waiting in the hallway as they usually did when expecting company. The girl passed a few maids and servants as she went, greeting each with a courteous smile, and a good word.

Eventually, she found herself at a large pair of doors. Peering through their glass panes, she felt a slight pang of worry. Her parents were sat upon the veranda, along with a set of gentlemen. Quickening her usual gracious movements, she clumsily fumbled with the door handle, opening it with a jolt - prompting the guests to turn their heads with questioning glares.

"Good of you to join us at last," the familiar, stern voice of her father rang resonant even outside, "Adelaide. Esteemed guests, please excuse my daughter's lateness - she is not usually this lacking in her timekeeping."

The girl smiled through her blush.

"Good morning," she said softly as she approached them. "Forgive me for my lateness. It is good to meet you." She bowed respectfully, hair swaying gently as she did so. Hopefully her usual polite, upbeat manner would win them over - whoever they are.

"Now then," her father cleared his throat, casting a hand over his perfectly coiffed black hair, his hazel eyes meeting the guests after their previous deviation, "how is the search going? Have you discovered any groups of pirates nosing about the area?"

A humming noise gradually got louder as the machine came to life. It had hung on the same hooks for about a year now and the store was doing a quick check up to make sure it still worked. Its head hung facing down at the dusty floor, its eyes focused on the ground and moved backwards and forwards as the system gave itself a quick check. Its head lifted and looked forwards its body still hanging motionless in the air. The lights in its eyes flickered on and dust drifted off of its chassis as the main system fired up. The humming faded and one of its arms reached up to the bar it was hung on and lifted itself off the hook. The machine let itself drop and landed with a loud clang on the stone floor. More dust floated off of its body before it up righted itself and got ready to maintain itself.
Karel turned to face the shop owner and focused on him. His featureless face could have been seen as intimidating after his long slumber and he rapidly approached the man. His hands tapped at his systems rapidly to make a quick check and clear any dust. “Has someone purchased me?” He asked in a neutral tone.
The man chuckled lightly. “No and I doubt there ever will be you pile of junk your outdated.” He said before slapping Karel across the chest to make sure nothing fell off.
Karel tilted his head and felt like he could rip the man apart if he wanted to but his strict system requirements would override his actions. Karel moved a lone hand to his back and felt round for a wire. His finger that would be used as an index finger brushed against it and he nodded to the man “Everything is in check. But I wish not to be here” he said and made another step towards the man.
“I never understood you AI’s but I will let you stretch legs for a bit before your back on shelf.” The man said as he brushed the bristle on his chin with his hand. He turned for a moment and rummaged around in box before he pulled out a sign that advertised his shop. –Hedra’s amazing merchandise. “If we don’t have it you don’t want it.”- He strapped it to Karel’s chest and ushered him out of the shop quickly.
Karel’s sensors took a moment to adjust to the light and he felt the wind rush past his gyros and main computer. He heard people talking and birds cawing overhead, he stood there for a moment and listened to the sounds around him before he walked off towards the sea.

"Prepare the drones for a patrol." Drake ordered Captain Henderson. The Drones were a nifty new device the Navy used for patrols and recon to save on manpower. They were, essentially, robotic boats(and occaisonal sloop) with an AI as it's controling intelligence.

"Yes, sir." Henderson said, a smirk tugging at his lips. Henderson liked the drones as much as Drake did. "Ops, release units ST-01 to ST-12, with FR-03 and -04 as backup."

The ST units were armed motorboats with incredible menouverability and generally a few machine-guns and a small cannon. The FR units were small sloops with a couple machine-guns , a couple cannon, and a medium deck gun, along with a couple ASW(Anti-Submarine Weapon) torpedoes.

"If there's pirates nearby, they won't get past the drones." Drake said. The drones also had ID verifyers as well as IR(InfaRed[thermo]) and Night vision settings. "Start the patrols in the bay to make sure all the ships are valid and no pirates slipped in and are hiding." he said again.

"An excellent idea, sir." Henderson said. If there was anyone that was anywhere near a friend to Drake in the entire fleet, it was Henderson.

((Bored, so I'm ganna mix things up a little))

Jacqueline had just left her cabin and stepped onto the deck when she felt herself falling forward. There was a loud explosion and what sounded like shattering wood. Several men began screaming and Jacqueline felt water splash on her as she lay facedown on the deck.

"All hands to the guns! We're under attack!" the first mate shouted. Jacqueline scrambled to her feet, fear suddenly gripping her. She looked out into the water and saw the three ship fleet that her voyage was a part of was indeed under attack by four other ships.

"Madame!" a crewman said running over to her. She didn't ask any questions as he grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the other end of the ship. It was there that they met the Captain.

"What's going on?" Jacqueline asked her thick accent more prominent due to the emotion that wracked her.

"Pirates," the Captain said morbidly as he looked down at her from the top step. "Franks, get Senora DuCant below deck. Lock her in my chambers and bring me the key, immediately." The man holding her arm obeyed and pulled her below deck. Jacqueline cried out as the ship lurched forward. She was thrown into the room and the door slammed shut.

She sat on the floor, her back pressed up against the bed, and she pulled her knees to her chest. Pirates...what was to become of them?

Captain Sophia wasn't one to blend in with a crowd, that was for certain. She had never had much trouble with it in other ports (mostly because they were usually infested with pirates on a daily basis), but New Port was certainly a bit of culture shock. Everyone was so... simple, quiet, refined, regal even. There were no shouting fishermen, merchants, peasants-- even the wooden docks were perfectly crafted and creaked only slightly. Of course it was a perfect vacation spot for anyone else but her, a pirate. Even still she was a classy woman, and trotted about with her chin held high and the feathers of her hat swaying softly with each step. Upon hearing a faint rumbling sound out towards the sea, she would begin to occasionally look down the hill the town was placed on to keep an eye on her own ship, seeing as though hers wasn't the only one filled with pirates around that area.

"Voctoria," she called out as she noticed a member of her crew shifting through the merchandise of one small shop.

"Aye?" the other woman answered.

"Go have Mister Arewick activate the deflectors... Can't afford to have any accidents out here." Victoria nodded and made a straight line to The Tropic, relaying the message to its first mate. However, Sophia remained on her toes. The deflectors were strong enough to withstand a good number of attacks, along with Sophia's behemoth of a vessel, but with as many naval ships that there were in New Port it was still a slight gamble.

The Captain shrugged off the thought slightly as she continued strolling, passing by a wooden post with a large piece of paper half-nailed to it. Sophia backed up and looked to the parchment, noticing it was a message from the Governor. She grinned at what it said, and was thrilled to have another challenge as she quietly folded the piece of paper and tucked it into one of the pockets on the inside of her cloak. "Lovely town," she mockingly sneered to herself.

"One of the ST units, -04, I think has spotted a small pirate fleet attacking what appears to be a VIP convoy." the Ops officer said, nervousness only tingeing his voice.

Drake nodded, "Send out the FR units with their defensive shields up and on the setting that allows for teir weapons to shoot through but other weapons not to get through. Setting three, I believe."

The Ops officer nodded, "Sending on and attack vector with shield setting three, aye aye, sir."

((OOC: The Justice-class battleship: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Uss_iowa_bb-61_pr.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BB61_USS_Iowa_BB61_broadside_USN.jpg My computer won't do pics, so I do urls))

Jacqueline screamed as the window to the room shattered. A piece of glass nicked her cheek and a trickle of blood stained her skin. She pressed her handkerchief over it and tried to stand. Just as she did the boat lurched dramatically forward and she toppled onto the bed. Fear gripped her as she heard shouts coming from above deck. The sound of metal clashing against metal, gunshots, and small explosions echoed off the walls.

Jacqueline panicked when she heard footsteps approaching the room she was in. Looking around frantically, she saw a silver handled dagger holding a map in place. She grabbed it and stuffed it into the folds of her dress before lifting the tablecloth and ducking under the table.

The door to the room opened and Jacqueline heard several pairs of footsteps. "Look over there!" a gruff voice barked. Someone began searching the table. Jacqueline placed a hand over her mouth to keep from crying.

"What do we have here?" a male's voice said as he lifted the tablecloth. Jacqueline screamed and kicked at the man who was grabbing at her. The table was suddenly flung on it's side and a hand grabbed her by the hair. She was dragged to her feet and she saw three ragged looking men wearing worn out clothing with swords and pistols on their hips. "Bet the Captain would like a look at you." The man holding her said.

"Sólteme usted suciedad!" she snapped and pulled against the man holding her. The three men laughed and dragged her above deck. Jacqueline saw what was left of the crew kneeling near the center mast with swords and guns pointed at them.

"What's this?" the taller man Jacqueline guessed was the pirate captain asked. He was a gruesome looking man with a bionic eye, a red hat and a long, crooked blade in his hand.

"Spaniard," the man holding Jacqueline said. "Only woman on board. She was held up in the Captain's quarters."

"Hmm," the Pirate Captain said as he stroked his bearded chin. "Looks wealthy too," he stated with a grotesque and greedy smile. "Tell me, wench, what business brings you to these waters?" He reached out to touch her face but she spat at him.

"¡No me toque que usted repugnando, mugriento, repugnante, el pirata!" The Pirate Captain laughed before backhanding her. Jacqueline's vision swam as she collapsed to the deck.

"Please, she is no one of importance!" the Captain of the ship yelled. "A Spanish merchant ship was lost at sea. She was one of the only survivors. We dropped the others of at New Haven and were transporting her to New Port to get a connecting ship back to Spain."

"Really?" the Pirate Captain asked looking back at the man. In one swift motion he pulled the sword from his side and plunged it into the Captain's chest. Jacqueline screamed as blood splattered the deck. "I don't like being lied to!" the Pirate Captain shouted. He grabbed Jacqueline by the hair and lifted her face to his, "tell me your name woman, or the rest of them die too!" Jacqueline glanced at the other men. Fear filled their eyes.

"My name is Jacqueline DuCante...Duchess Jacqueline DuCante." Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes and the pirates on board laughed cruelly.

"Payday boys!" the Pirate Captain yelled dropped Jacqueline back onto the deck. "No need for the rest of them. Kill them all."

[FR unit 03]
"Pirates in sight." the mechanical voice droned, sending the message back to the fleet, which was powering up for pursuit.

"Forward cannon warming up." The forward cannon was, essentially, a supermagnet gun. It threw solid or explosive slugs at incredible velocities.

"Forward cannon firing." it swung toward one of the ships and fired an armor-piercing explosive projectile, which punched through the armor and detonated inside. Also, judging from the secondary explosiond, it had hit an ammo locker or, if it was lucky, a magazine.

"Unit 04 firing." the forward gun of the other ship let loose on the same ship, which began burning.

"Priming torpedoes for anti-ship attack." Compressed air could be heard as a torpedo was fired at the ship, which tried desperately to turn but was hit amidships and blown in half.

[New Port Navy Yard]
"How goes the attack?" Drake asked imperiously. "One pirate ship has been neutralized, sir." the Ops officer said. "Very good, Lieutenant Jenkins. I would like to take direct comtrol of the attack." The Ops officer, Jenkins, nodded, "Aye aye, sir. Transferring control...now!"

Jacqueline was thrown onto the deck of a pirate ship as what appeared to be Military Vessels began countering the pirate attack. Everyone from the crew of the ship she'd just been on was brutally murdered in front of her eyes.

A pirate came over and grabbed her by the wrists and began tying them. She kicked him in the stomach and grabbed the knife she'd stashed in her dress. Jacqueline ran for the plank that led back to the ship she'd been on before, but the Pirate Captain blocked her path. Without thinking, she plunged the dagger into his chest. He laughed as he pushed her down and ripped the dagger out himself exposing a chest full of wires connected to a metal heart. Jacqueline looked on in horror covering her mouth with one hand.

"Get us out of here boys, we already have what we need." The boat shook from the cannon fire and splashes of water soaked Jacqueline as she lay on the deck. The ship was sailing away quickly and her only choice now was to jump overboard and hope to be rescued.

She stood and gripped the railing, but before she could even jump, she was grabbed and her hands bound behind her back and a gag over her mouth. She struggled under the strong grip as she was pulled below deck and thrown into a brig.

Below deck smelled horribly, the walls were coated with sea slime, and there was nearly a foot of water. Jacqueline managed to pull her hands from behind her back. She tried to keep herself from crying as she sat on a crate in her cell and pulled her knees into her chest. It was hopeless. She would either be ransomed and killed by the pirates, or killed in the attack from the military. Either way...she'd never see her beloved Spain again.

The delightful chattering of birdsong was shattered by what sounded like cannonfire. In an instant, each head around the small table shot to the bay, where the sight of a number of ships could be seen. They were too far off to tell just what was going on, but, it was easy to understand from the sheer unusual nature of the noise that something was wrong.

"Pirates," one of the men murmured, turning to Adelaide's father for confirmation. The man nodded firmly, before approaching the slightly concerned-looking maid that was serving them out in the garden.

"Please, ready some horses," Adelaide's father said sternly, "and attempt to alert the Governor, wherever he might be. This may not bode well for us." With that, he went back into the house, his guests quick at his heels as he went. Even quicker was the maid, light on her toes. "Adelaide, stay here."

The girl felt her heartbeat slow as they disappeared into the house, the soft whinny of horses audible around the front after but a few moments. She turned to her mother, her face begging explanation.

"I'd assume it's pirates," the lady sighed, her slightly wrinkled - and yet, flawless - face changing in uncertainty. Hooves clattered upon the front trail, out towards New Port - where the action was. "It would be wise for us to stay right here, even if they do get it under control quickly. You cannot trust those heathens, even if they appear noble in intention."

Adelaide nodded, thoughts brewing within her head as she stood, feeling rather awkward. She wanted to see it with her own eyes, even if it was a little risky. But how hard could it be to stay hidden within the racing crowds? Not at all, if her attire were a bit different. Taking her horse would not be a problem, and she could easily escape the confines of the grounds.

"Excuse me, mother," she smiled at her, hiding her intent well. "I should probably get out of this dress before I ruin it. I would not want Lena's hard work to go to waste, now that the company has left."

"Of course," her mother said, continuing to sit in her spot. Taking a cup of tea to her lips, she cast her eyes to the ocean once more as her daughter disappeared back through the door she had appeared from.

Upon getting back in her room, Adelaide was quick with her motions. She struggled out of the perfect dress, leaving it with caution upon her bed, shoving on some old riding clothes as she removed her jewellry, unpinning her hair to let it drop into her perfect curls. With a few looks down the hall before she raced out, Adelaide made her escape to the stables. Hopefully, nobody would notice her leave, and she'd be observing in the town in no time at all. She prayed her father would not run into her - who knew how he'd respond to her being so close to those seafaring brutes?

The servants were gone from the horses' quarters now, all back inside the house. No doubt, attending to Adelaide's mother, she assumed. Soon, in the wooden building, she set her blue eyes upon her dapple-grey horse, smiling both within, and allowing the warmth to grace her lips as she began to saddle it up. Such a task was easy, considering she had been riding so long. A few minutes was all it took. Mounting the horse with ease, she raced off through the grounds unnoticed - ready for New Port.

[FR unit 03]
"Second ship neutralized." the mechanical voice of unit FR-03 said, it's blazing-red automatronic 'eyes' watching the burning hulk of another ship slide beneath the waves.

The next ship seemed to be a flagship, "Should have got this one first." the AI thought aloud. It zoomed in and saw what was obviously a woman of importance being dragged aboard against her will. "Hold fire, VIP in jeopardy. Call in special forces." The signal was sent back to Navy HQ.

"Cripple it by disabling the engines." it said to it's twin, FR-04. "Priming EMP rounds." But it never gotr a chance to shoot as a shot hit the deflector at the same instant manual control was given to Fleet Admiral Durham...

[RMS Justice, New Port Naval Yards]
"Damned rogues are shooting back." Drake muttered to himself as the screen to FR-03 went to static. "Bastards just took out 03." His usual disipline melting slightly due to his lust for pirate blood.

He aimed the EMP round just above the ship and shot it, he got a glimpse of a blueish wave passing over and into the pirate's ship, followed by an abrupt stopping of its engine wake, before this screen, too, went to static. "Dammit!" he said, pounding the controls once, which was enough to dent the perfectly shined surface.

"Send out an attack wave-no, even better, send out real ships, to finish the job!" he said, his face turning red as his temper got the best of him.

Argus surveyed his crew unloading their cargo at the merchant docks of New Port, yelling at his deckhands to be careful with those expensive goods they had. Everything seemed very normal- a small merchant vessel with a small crew unloading their small cargo. This was, of course, all part of the plan. Argus looked past his crew for a moment, taking in the scenery of New Port in all its muted glory. Tall white buildings spanned into the distance, although hardly reaching the bright yellow sun above. It was nice to come into this port every so often, thought Argus. Royal armies didn't give travelers too much trouble in New Port, and it was a convenient spot to buy supplies and sell his... wares.
Argus looked back down at the bustling port and caught a gander at a fat, balding Indian man smoking a cigarette. Argus smiled and approached him, jumping over crates and dodging seamen where necessary.
"Mister Abu! Good to see you again. I have your... spices here for you. You'll find them in the yellow striped crates over there," Argus pointed to Mister Abu's cargo. "The special request you ordered is also there."
Argus looked Mister Abu up and down the way one would stare at an exotic animal at an expensive zoo. The man wore baggy white trousers whenever he went outside but, as if to balance out the clothes with a lack of clothes, almost never wore a shirt. He was also a chronic smoker- many in New Port were. The cigarettes of choice were, of course, Newports.
Today was one of those lucky days were Mister Abu was wearing a sleeveless t-shirt, much to the satisfaction of Argus and everyone else within eyesight of him.
"I'm glad that I can rely on you, Captain Argus," said the fat Indian man in a heavy accent. "Most of your kind get caught by the Royal Fleet. Luckily you are quite the crafty one!" Mister Abu handed Argus a thick envelope, to which Argus scowled. The blubbering idiot didn't know how to keep his mouth shut sometimes.
"I don't know what your talking about, Mister Abu," he said, taking the envelope and swiftly turning on his heel. As he walked away, Argus quickly opened the envelope, and his aggravation with Mister Abu turned into delight as he eyeballed the amount of money contained within. Argus approximated the sum, and found it to be sufficient. If Abu kept on paying amounts like this, Argus would have to tolerate his incompetence.
"Captain!"
Argus turned to see his first mate, Jeffery Waters, saluting him.
"Report, Waters," said Argus, calmly folding his hands behind his back.
"All of the standard cargo was dropped off. The special items have been delivered to their destinations as well, without a hitch, sir," said Waters, easing his saluting hand. The lad wore nothing more than simple cargo pants and a light wind jacket. His red, curly hair was one of a kind on the Bumblebee, and he had proven himself time and time again to be a terrific seaman, smuggler, and pirate.
"Good," said Argus, unfolding his arms. "And the payments?"
Waters handed the captain several thick envelopes. "All accounted for. There's even a little extra I managed to haggle away from the poor blokes."
Argus smiled at the weight of the envelopes. Jeffery had really pulled through this time! He would make sure Waters got a better cut of the next raid's bounty.
"Excellent, Jeffery!" Argus exclaimed, tossing the envelopes up and down like a fool juggling several weighted balls. "Myself and the crew will thank you for your efforts later tonight, I guarantee it." First Mate Waters beamed with a grin that made his freckles stretch.
"Thank you, Captain!" he said, saluting once more. Argus took a roll of money out of one of the envelopes and handed the rest back to Waters.
"Take the rest of this and put it in my quarters. Tell the crew to gather the necessary supplies they need, but caution them to stay safe. The last thing we need is to run out of port with the Royal Navy on our asses," Argus said, pocketing the money. "I'll be back in a few hours after I run a couple errands."
First Mate Waters did a final salute.
"Yes sir!" he said. Argus nodded to his reliable lad, then turned and walked into the city, disappearing like a mist into the crowd.

His footsteps rung out as the metal feet made contact with the stone steps that Karel walked down. He could hear teenagers laughing at him to his left and he turned and looked at them for a moment before carrying on down the stairs. Karel had to be honest with himself he must of looked like an idiot with this sign hanging from shoulders but after all he would outlive most of them so it didn’t matter. The sun glinted off his body as he walked out of the shade and into the main street that led to the port. Newport was odd to him. There were no sounds of metal against metal or screeching of machines from the factories just the simple chatting of people and the birds above his head swooping down to thief any food they could. His eyes retracted deeper into his head so the suns glare didn’t affect him and he lowered himself to the floor in the middle of the street. “I like it here” He muttered as he sat in the way of everyone in the middle of the road. Karel glanced at his legs that were spread out in front of him and searched them for any defects, he found two and quickly got to work of unscrewing his legs and mending the problems.

Jacqueline was kneeling in the salty water holding onto her beaded cross necklace and muttering silent prayers. The ship had stopped rocking so heavily so she could only assume it meant that they had escaped. She didn't know what was worse, the threat of being killed at sea, or being ransomed then killed by pirates.

If only she'd held onto the dagger. She could end her own suffering before she was used as a weapon of evil. But perhaps there was a grander design. Maybe the Lord had heard her prayers. Perhaps the cruel Duke she was unwitingly married to would not pay for her and her father would pay for her instead! He would see the error of his ways, have the pair quietly divorced, and would bring her back to Spain! Perhaps this was for the best...

It took mere minutes for Adelaide to reach the outskirts of New Port itself, the sea slowly sinking into the ever-closer horizon as her horse galloped through the streets. The squat buildings were all she could see now, the blue ocean merely glimpsed between small gaps. There were hints of gunfire in the air, rattling around the skies with the piercing cries of the gulls overhead, underscored by the constant, hollow sound of hooves upon cobbles. Adelaide continually raised herself from the saddle, almost standing in her position to see if she could spot any of the action.

Tearing around a corner, she had to quickly direct her horse to avoid hitting some bystanders. The horse plunged into them, forcing the people to scatter, hitting the sides of buildings in an effort to stop being hit. Adelaide winced as she heard the foul words roared after her, turning for but a moment to call out her apologies.

She reminded herself not to be so stupid - she could not settle for a mere 'sorry', she had to, for some odd reason forced by her good manners, call out her sincerest apologies to them for her misdeed.

The ocean was closer now as she continued down this, the street that seemed to be a main one. She had not caught the name of it - signs were a blur when moving at such a speed - but it seemed a pretty place, the white stone buildings being accented with the sweet scent of tropical flowers. New Port was a picturesque area indeed - even when under attack, as it seemed here.

"Assemble the men!"

The familiar shout of her father was heard now, prompting Adelaide to tug on the reins of her horse. It slowed to a stop, whinnying slightly as it did so before releasing a few snorts. The girl patted its heaving neck gently, calming it somewhat. Adelaide dismounted - rather gracefully - before standing behind the beast, almost using it as a screen to hide herself. If her father noticed her, she'd be in serious trouble. It would help if she knew where he was.

"Start searching the area for pirates," the familiar voice growled, its proximity waxing and waning with every other sentence. "If you see anyone you distrust, follow them, and let the rest of the men know. We'll find that treasure yet. If you're feeling brave, try to befriend them. Convince them you wish to join their crew, and perhaps we can infiltrate them from within. Dismissed!"

As soon as the word dropped from his lips, a few soldiers - some not in uniform, however, it was simple for Adelaide to recognise them - tore through the streets, sending a shockwave through the citizens with their presence. All of a sudden New Port seemed to buzz with a tense atmosphere, jolting from uncertainty to calm, and back again.

"I should best move quickly," Adelaide breathed, "perhaps down towards the port." It was beginning to dawn upon her that, perhaps, this might not have been the best plan of action. Getting back home wouldn't be easy, for it would be heavily guarded. Maybe she could slink around, unnoticed.

Moving quickly, leading - almost dragging - the horse along, she headed down towards the port on light toes, making sure she did not look anyone directly in the eyes. Being recognised would be like a death sentence.

Thankfully, the people seemed to disperse, the closer she got to the harbor. There seemed less people around - however, there were a number of, well, unusual ships. It was easy to spot them against the regal gallions of the army, and the nobles. Something told Adelaide that this was not right at all, something was definitely wrong here. She braced herself, moving along the port. Towards the end of it, there was a path that led up towards the higher ground, where her mansion was located, above the bay. If she could make it up there, getting home would be a little easier. Starting to walk, she kept an eye on those strange ships, tension rising within her with every resounding heartbeat.